Providing a service with location-based authorization

• US 9,451,443 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2014
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Inventors: Martell, Lawrence Robert, Henriksen, Brett, Lariccio, Michael, Sweeney, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Zewdu, Meless
• Application Number:
  US14/471,751
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455410-411, 455415-416, 455418-420, 455424-425, 4554261-4262, 455/432.3, 455433-434, 455/435.1, 455/440, 4554561-4566, 455458-459, 455/461, 455/500, 455514-515, 455/517, 455/519, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 455560-561, 707781-785, 715743-745, 709/203, 709/219, 709/228, 370/0.31, 370/313, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing a service are provided. A request is received to provide the service to a device. A location of the device, or a network interface through which the device is coupled, is determined. Finally, the delivery of the service is authorized based on the determined location of the device, or the determined network interface.

Claims

1. A server, comprising:

a memory storing a subscriber profile corresponding to a subscriber, wherein the subscriber profile includes information comprising a number of devices, determined by a service provider of the subscriber, that can be used by the subscriber to access a service; and

a controller configured to;

receive a first request and a second request to authenticate a first device and a second device of the number of devices, respectively, for the subscriber,

determine a first location associated with the first device and a second location associated with the second device,

authenticate the first device in response to determining that;

the subscriber is authorized to access the service at the first location, and

a total amount of authenticated devices for the subscriber will not exceed the number of devices after the first device is authenticated, and

authenticate the second device in response to determining that;

the subscriber is authorized to access the service at the second location, and

the total amount of authenticated devices for the subscriber will not exceed the number of devices after the second device is authenticated.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the subscriber profile further includes a list of authorized locations, and

wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the first location or the second location is in the list of authorized locations.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine whether the first request or the second request corresponds to the subscriber before authenticating the first device.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the memory stores a plurality of subscriber profiles, including the subscriber profile, that correspond to a plurality of subscribers.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that the first device or the second device is a stationary device before authenticating the first device or the second device, respectively.

6. The server of claim 4, wherein the subscriber profile further includes a list of device types that can be used to access the service.

7. The server of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that a type of the first device or the second device is in the list of device types before authenticating the first device or the second device, respectively.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine identification information associated with a network interface through which the first device or the second device is connected; and

determine whether the first device or the second device is authorized to access the server via the network interface before authenticating the first device or the second device, respectively.

9. The server of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

provide the service to the first device in response to authenticating the first device.

10. The server of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

provide the service to the second device after the second device is authenticated.

11. A server, comprising:

a memory storing a plurality of subscriber profiles corresponding to a plurality of subscribers, wherein each subscriber profile in the plurality of subscriber profiles includes information comprising a number of devices, determined by a service provider, that can be used to access a service; and

a controller configured to;

receive a first request and a second request to authenticate a first device and a second device of the number of devices, respectively,

identify a subscriber in the plurality of subscribers that originated the first request or the second request,

identify a subscriber profile corresponding to the identified subscriber,

determine a first location associated with the first device and a second location associated with the second device,

authenticate the first device for the identified subscriber in response to determining, based on information in the identified subscriber profile, that;

the identified subscriber is authorized to access the service at the first location, and

a total amount of authenticated devices for the identified subscriber will not exceed the number of devices in the identified subscriber profile after the first device is authenticated, and

authenticate the second device for the identified subscriber in response to determining, based on information in the identified subscriber profile, that;

the identified subscriber is authorized to access the service at the second location, and

the total amount of authenticated devices for the identified subscriber will not exceed the number of devices in the identified subscriber profile after the second device is authenticated.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein each subscriber profile in the plurality of subscriber profiles further includes information comprising a list of authorized locations, and wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the first location or the second location is in the list of authorized locations in the identified subscriber profile.

13. The server of claim 11, wherein each subscriber profile in the plurality of subscriber profiles further includes information comprising a list of device types that can be used to access the service.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that a type of the first device or the second device is in the list of device types in the identified subscriber profile before authenticating the first device or the second device.

15. The server of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to:

provide the service to the first device or the second device in response to determining that a list of devices in the identified subscriber profile includes the first device or the second device.

16. A method, comprising:

storing, by a memory, a subscriber profile corresponding to a subscriber, wherein the subscriber profile includes information comprising a number of devices, determined by a service provider of the subscriber, that can be used by the subscriber to access a service;

receiving a first request and a second request to authenticate a first device and a second device of the number of devices, respectively, for the subscriber to enable the subscriber to access the service;

determining a first location associated with the first device and a second location associated with the second device;

authenticating the first device in response to determining that;

the subscriber is authorized to access the service at the first location, and a total amount of authenticated devices for the subscriber will not exceed the number of devices that can be used by the subscriber to access the service after the first device is authenticated, and

authenticating the second device in response to determining that;

the subscriber is authorized to access the service at the second location, and the total amount of authenticated devices for the subscriber will not exceed the number of devices that can be used by the subscriber to access the service after the second device is authenticated.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

storing a list of the authenticated devices and the number of devices in a subscriber profile corresponding to the subscriber.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether the first location is in a list of authorized locations before authenticating the first device; and

determining whether the second location is in the list of authorized locations before authenticating the second device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether a type of the first device or the second device is in a list of authorized device types before authenticating the first device or the second device.